 Maybe it's indeed a human thing to tell lies, but it's definitely not a good foundation to build any relationship on, neither is it a good way to resolve any situation. You see, the thing about lying is that once a person discovers that you told them a lie, or you always tell a lie, no one will believe you any more. Frederick Nietzsche, a German philosopher, cultural critic and philologist said, I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you. Now here's the thing, now that we know we shouldn't lie to others, including friends and family, however, sometimes it's difficult to resist the urge, which is why we can't help but wonder, why do we lie? In this video, I'll share with you why we lie and how to stop. If you're new here, consider subscribing so that you won't miss other interesting videos like this. Why do we lie? 1. We lie for fear of what might happen next. Tad Williams, an American author said, we tell lies when we are afraid. Afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what we will find out about us, but every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger. When we are not sure of the outcome or consequences of something we have done, we feel the need to lie, to cover up, because we don't know what punishment we might face as a result. In some other cases, we are scared of how embarrassed we will feel when people find out, so we choose to lie to cover up our actions. 2. We lie to manipulate. We also lie when we want people to do something for us or say something in a way we'd like it to be heard. We try to manipulate them so that they can make certain decisions in our favor just the way we want. For instance, why do people feel the need to lie to others that they love them even when they don't? It's simple. They want to get the other person emotionally stirred up, so they can be more easily manipulated. That way, they can have anything they ask for, whether it be sex, money, power, fame, etc. 3. We lie to keep our pride. When people feel the need to create a favorable image of themselves, they end up lying. They start by exaggerating things or create fascinating yet completely false stories, so that those who are listening to them can think that they are extremely important people. I'm pretty sure you've done something similar before, where you meet a person for the first time and try to create an image of yourself as being a big figure in your space or as someone who's got influence in a circle or organization. However, when you tell a lie for any reason whatsoever, there will always be consequences and in the end, you'd wish you'd told the truth or avoided the situation entirely. Dorothy Allison, an American writer, said things come apart so easily when they've been held together with lies. The truth about why we lie is because we are selfish and we always want to portray a good image of ourselves in every situation we find ourselves in, even when we are wrong. Anyway, now that we know why we lie, how can we stop ourselves from lying? 1. Examine your triggers. Every time we tell a lie, something must have been responsible. So the first thing to do the next time you catch yourself telling a lie is to examine what might have been responsible for it or what the triggers were. Ask yourself questions like these when it happens. Where are you? Who are you with? How do you feel? Are you lying to make yourself feel better or avoid making someone feel bad? Answering these questions will help you identify your triggers and when you do, come up with solutions to help you handle them better so that you don't find yourself cooking up some more stories the next time you find yourself in that situation. 2. Think about why you lie. Which of the reasons above is your reason for lying? To save yourself from a possible embarrassment? To try to look good and create a perfect image of yourself to others? Or to try to get people to do or say something in your favor? Finding out the reason behind why you do the things you do can help you handle the situation even better because you know the root cause. So, identify the reason for telling a lie and then seek help from that particular reason. 3. Remind yourself how lying messes up your life. Balthazar Grasian, a Spanish Jesuit and Baroque prose writer said, a single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity. No matter what the reason for telling a lie is, it will always have a negative consequence on your life. Lying destroys relationships, tarnishes one's image and also adds a tremendous burden on the person's life because you're always having to tell a lie to keep up with the initial. Reminding yourself that lying always comes with such grave consequences can help you refrain from the act. 4. Ask yourself what's the worst that can happen. When you notice that you are about to tell a lie in a bid to not hurt someone else who might be involved or for any other reason, ask yourself what's the worst that can happen? Most times we overthink the possible outcomes and chances are it might not be as terrible as you imagine it. So, take a few minutes to stop and think for yourself. What is the worst thing that will happen? 5. Take it one day at a time. Finally, if you're trying to be more honest, the truth is that you have to learn to take it slowly, one day at a time. You can't immediately stop telling lies because you decided to stop. Commit to being more truthful each day and if you mistakenly tell a lie, don't beat yourself up. Instead, tell yourself you can do better and you'd be more conscious about it. Remember one step at a time. Thank you very much for watching our videos. If you like this video, watch more videos on our channel and subscribe. We love you.